The Puffer Forum

Hello everyone!

Im new to this forum. I recently purchased a 8 month old fahaka. The fahaka was eating just fine before the move into its new home. I have had her for just under a week and have not been able to get it to eat. I tried snails, guppys, crays, tilapia,raw shrimp. Nothing. Anyone have any suggestions. ( the fish in the first pic are now gone)

Tank specs

125 gal
30 gal w/d sump
Eheim 2229 w/d
2- emperor 400's

Parameters:

P.H. 6.5
Nitrite. 0.05
Mitrate- 15
Ammonia-0

Beautiful puffer!
He could still be settling in, he doesn't look skinny so I wouldn't be worried yet.
Have you read the feeding article in the library? Some really good food suggestions there. Also just about any puffer will take a live earthworm, so if you can find one try that. Otherwise try soaking the food in garlic, it acts as a natural stimulant and could help him eat.
I'd recomend doing a w/c too, any detectable nitrite level could cause a puffer to not eat.

I just did a 50% water change while you were writing that. Ill go test my nitrites again!

If this keeps up, try some bigger feeders. Better to have him eat feeders than not to eat at all.

He acting real wierd now. He just went crazy swimming all over the tank. HELP!

I just got a Mbu about a week and a half ago and he wouldn't eat or move for about 4 days, but then all of a sudden he started acting normal and was crusing round the tank the same day he began to feed
So just give your Fahaka a chance to settle in, he will be ok

Thanks for the words or encouragement! How long can a 9" Fahaka go without eating?

Actually, quite a while. I'm not sure exactly how long, but yours will for fine for a few days at least.

I don't know about a 9" but a 6" can go at least 3 weeks. Annabelle went on a hunger strike for a little more than 3 weeks.

Amazing puffer.I'm waiting for my puffer(Dwarf Puffer) to eat to..I worried though.lol

Hi!

I had the same problem as you! I got my fahaka 1 week ago and he did not eat
Someone told me that i should mix the food whit garlic, and i did. it went very well and he is eating now and are very fat hehe.

What i have reed it may take the puffer 1 week for it so get relaxed in his new home and start to eat.

Please do not feed your fish feeders! Better he doesn't eat at all for a few weeks, IMO. He looks like he might have been a bit overfed where he came from. Give him time to settle in. Mine went on a food strike for 3 weeks after I upgraded him from a 55g to a 125. Try earthworms or a fiddler crab. There is a great article on getting your puffers to eat, in our Library, along with one on different foods to try.

Your pH is a bit low, is that what it is coming out of your tap?

Yes, The P.H. is coming out of my tap at that level. Shouls i increase it and what should i use. I have snails and crays in the tank so i guess it will eat whens its ready. Whats should the P.H. be?

Pufferpunk wrote:Please do not feed your fish feeders! Better he doesn't eat at all for a few weeks, IMO. He looks like he might have been a bit overfed where he came from. Give him time to settle in. Mine went on a food strike for 3 weeks after I upgraded him from a 55g to a 125. Try earthworms or a fiddler crab. There is a great article on getting your puffers to eat, in our Library, along with one on different foods to try.

Your pH is a bit low, is that what it is coming out of your tap?

I meant after like a month of not eating. It's better for it to eat QTd feeders than nothing. Then they can work from there. But yeah, it would be better to wait it out for a couple weeks.

If you do anything to your pH, do it naturally with something like a filter bag of crushed coral or argonite, don't use the chemicals to change it. I wouldn't worry about it too much, if that's how its coming out of your tap and nothing in the tank is lowering it.

Most puffers pout for a while after being moved, and refuse to eat. Its pretty common. It might just take it a while to get used to the activity levels around your house, lighting, the new tank and even those nice reddish painted walls Keep on top of keeping the water clean, you want your nitrates as low as possible and non-existant ammonia and nitrites.

Are you using any chemicals, water treatments or medications?

Live nightcrawlers work well sometimes, as all the other suggestions, and yes, your fahaka is nice and fat and in no danger of starving to death any time soon . It will eat when its ready to.